Hotel Carriacou - Laurena

The town hasn’t recovered from the hurricane either, and it closes down on Sundays, which we didn’t know. We struggled to find food. There aren’t many places for shopping or eating, though the locals were extremely friendly and helped us get around. We rented a car from Wayne's without any stress, but first you need to go to the police department for a $60 EC driving permit. Paradise Beach and Sandy Island were gorgeous. We ate at the Paradise Beach Club, Mr. Grill International, and the Original Slipway, and all the meals were delicious. I highly recommend them. As for the hotel, the website photos aren’t accurate, and for the price I wouldn’t recommend it. It hasn’t been updated much since the July 2024 hurricane, and it shows: wood is coming apart on the stairs, pieces are missing, and balcony boards are loose. Our plane from Grenada landed around 4:30 on Friday. Staff had left our key in the room because they’d gone for the day, and we didn’t see anyone until Monday morning. That was a problem since the WiFi, TV, and ceiling fan didn’t work the whole time. The water pressure was spotty at best. Rinsing shampoo and conditioner out of my short hair, above my shoulders, was a chore. Checkout was at 11am. We asked for a late checkout because our airport departure wasn’t until 2:30, but they said no, even though hardly anyone was staying there. I’d be surprised if more than four rooms were occupied. They did let us leave our luggage somewhere, and we stayed at the beach until it was time to go. That worked for us as two adults, but could be difficult with young children, since there was nowhere to change and no bathroom to use during that time. The room did have working air-conditioning, a mini fridge, and an electric kettle. There was one small bottle each of shampoo, conditioner, and body soap, enough for one use, plus plenty of towels for the two of us. No beach towels, and no housekeeping during our stay, so we kept sand off the bed by leaving everything by the door and using a towel to wipe our feet. The beach was okay, with different sand from other beaches on the island, but the water was beautiful.

The rooms are beautiful and clean, and the staff are friendly and very accommodating. It’s within walking distance of the supermarket, market, and more. I’ll definitely recommend it.

The rooms are clean and good, and the location is convenient. Hopefully the restaurant will reopen soon.

Book an end room facing the ocean. It costs a bit more, but the view is worth it. The hotel is right on the beach, the staff are friendly and helpful, and the rooms are spotlessly clean. The Mermaid had relatively little hurricane damage, so it recovered faster than other places. They still weren’t serving breakfast, and the internet was down while we were there in Jan 25. That was due to infrastructure issues, not the hotel’s fault. There’s a smoothy bar next door, a terrific little restaurant a few doors down, a few small supermarkets nearby, and local buses stop close by. As of Jan 25, there was still a lot of damage around the island and many places were closed, even if Google Maps showed them as open. Pure Grenada Tourism encouraged us to visit despite the hurricane damage, and people were happy to have tourists back. We loved the island and its people, but it’s still struggling to recover.